Meah Evans (@meahevans) just wanted to buy some cheese. So she strolled into her local Publix grocery store to peruse the retailer’s selection. However, after she arrived at the wall of options presented to her, she found herself at a crossroads.
That’s because she was hankering for some sharp cheese. But after seeing Cabot’s branding, she was left wondering what the cheese manufacturer’s naming distinctions actually meant.
Her humorous post went viral, garnering over 305,000 views. Numerous comments from throngs of other TikTok users sympathized with her plight.
Sharp cheese
“Tell me if I’m missing something,” the TikToker says as she looks into the camera. Next, the video reveals the refrigerated dairy section. There are several blocks of cheese before her.
Following this, she grabs a brick of Cabot Creamery Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
She says, “So I was gonna get the extra sharp, right?” However, there was another cheddar variant that caught her attention. “But then I this and this is seriously sharp.”
When she mentions the other Cabot Creamery offering, she directs her camera lens toward it. Indeed, the company sells a type of cheese that’s branded as “seriously sharp.” The differences in nomenclature, Evans says, gave her some pause.
“So, I wanna get this, but, I mean, she’s serious. Do I want it to be extra, or do I want my cheese to be serious?” she wonders.
Furthermore, she ponders what the flavor profile of a cheese that proclaims to be serious would be in the first place. “And what does serious cheese taste like? I don’t, I don’t know,” she says.
At this point in the video, she continues to weigh her coagulated dairy options.
“Do I want a cheese that’s gonna go above and beyond?” she says. “Do I want a cheese that’s about business? When did cheeses start having personalities?”
Decision made
Toward the end of her clip, she finally makes her choice known to viewers. Placing the Extra Sharp Cabot back on the shelf, she says, “I’mma just put this back.”
So, which cheese is sharper? As it turns out, Evans wasn’t the only person who’s wondered what the difference between “extra” and “seriously” was. HuffPost penned an article covering the distinction back in 2017.
In fact, the piece highlights that there are even sharper variants of Cabot’s offerings, such as New York Extra Sharp and Vermont Sharp. Moreover, these cheeses come in both white and orange alternatives. A journalist for the media outlet spoke with a representative of Cabot, Nate Formalarie. In ascending order, he broke down which cheeses were sharpest.
First on the list is the mildest of sharp cheeses: Cabot’s Medium offering. Following that, there’s Vermont Sharp, which kicks up the flavor intensity. Next on the list is New York Extra Sharp, which takes that cheesy taste up yet another notch. And if you like the way Vermont cheese tastes, but still want a bolder attack on your palate, reach for Vermont Extra Sharp. The final boss of Cabot’s sharpness flavor profile is its “Seriously Sharp” offering.
So, if Evans was looking to get the sharpest cheese out there, then she should’ve reached for the “Seriously” one.
@meahevans I feel like I should ask for their resumes atp
♬ original sound – Meah
Viewers are just as confused
One user recommended that the TikToker should’ve just purchased both of them. “I mean you can get both and be seriously extra,” they penned.
Another quipped, “Extra sharp is the personality hire, seriously sharp is there to get the job done.”
Someone else also thought the nomenclature on the cheeses was ridiculous. “This reminds me of the episode of SpongeBob. When he debates on getting paper towels best in town or best all around,” they wrote.
Another thought there was an easier way to rate the sharpness levels of cheese. “It’s like buttered popcorn. Extra butter, extreme butter, butter lovers. Just tell me which one has the most,” they said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Cabot via email and Evans via TikTok comment for further information.
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